In a known manner, such a pulley device may comprise a rolling bearing and a fixing screw. The rolling bearing comprises an inner ring and an outer ring in relative rotation. The screw comprises a head end and a threaded end. The screw crosses through the inner ring of the rolling bearing, such that its threaded end penetrates inside a tapped orifice arranged in a support, for example an engine block. To the extent possible, mechanical contact should be avoided between the rotating elements of the rolling bearing and the support, which can in particular be positioned in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle and subject to frequent vibrations.
To that end, it is known to use a spacer to axially separate the rolling bearing from the support. To produce this spacer, a first approach consists of integrating the spacer into the inner ring of the rolling bearing. One drawback of this approach is that it makes the manufacturing and assembly of the pulley devices equipped with such spacers more complex.
According to a second approach, the spacer is a separate part from the rolling bearing. The pulley device is then equipped with a metal sleeve that is secured to the inner ring of the rolling bearing. One drawback of this approach relates to the weight and cost of the sleeve.
In this respect, it is known, for example from DE-A-198 50 157, to provide a sleeve made from a plastic material that is overmolded or fitted on the inner ring of the rolling bearing. Such a pulley device is simple and cost-effective to manufacture.
It is also known, for example from DE-A-10 200 60 19 538, to provide two sleeves with a reduced size and that define an axial interstice between them. When the fixing screw is inserted through the sleeves, this screw is often inserted at an angle and then collides with an edge of the sleeve positioned against the support. Using two sleeves makes it possible to reduce the weight and cost of the pulley device, but complicates the insertion of the screw into the support.